Dear Lifehacker,
I need to buy a new laptop soon and want to make sure I don't pay more for it than I have to. Laptop prices are all over the map, though, and seem to change every day. How can I make sure I get the best deal on my next laptop?

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Signed,
Laptop Bargain Hunter

Dear LBH,
A laptop is a big purchase, so it definitely pays to shop smart. No one wants to plunk down hundreds of dollars on a laptop only to find a better deal on it right after you paid—or an even better laptop on sale just a month or so later. To (at least potentially) avoid that common buyer's remorse, let's walk through how to figure out which laptop to buy, where to buy it from, and when. You're itching for a new machine, so let's explore:

Find the Best Laptop for the Buck

Figure Out What Kind of Laptop You Really Need

To find the best deals, you need to comparison shop. But to do that, you first need to find out exactly what you want to buy. At the very least, you should figure out which features you need or want in your next laptop so you can narrow down your choices and spot the best laptop values. Photo by Dongyi Liu

Are you planning on carrying around your laptop in your backpack or for travel? A small screen size, light weight, and long battery life should be at the top of your checklist (consider the new ultrathin and lightweight laptop category of Windows laptops, Ultrabooks, or other laptops in the ultraportable or thin-and-light categories). Going to use your laptop for gaming or other processor-intensive tasks like video editing? Look for high-end laptops with discrete video cards (the most powerful laptops typically are gaming laptops or desktop replacements, with 17" screen sizes or sometimes 15.6" displays). Want a laptop with the best standard warranty and support, more build-to-order configuration options, and better durability? Consider business laptops (even if you're buying just for personal use); these often have better build quality though they tend to cost more than consumer-oriented laptops. There are lots of considerations, but our guide to picking the perfect laptop can help you sort it all out.

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Save Hundreds By Buying a Previous Generation Model

When you go laptop window shopping, don't count out previous generation laptops—especially if you're aiming for a bargain. The newest laptops with the latest processors and other new hardware may be shiny and awfully tempting, but slightly older laptops (e.g., last year's model or even one that's just a few months old) could very well suit your needs perfectly. Intel recently released its third-generation Ivy Bridge processors, which promise improved performance and better battery life, but for most people's needs, the processor upgrade won't make a noticeable difference.

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The new processors still work in your favor, though: Retailers discount older models to make way for the laptops sporting the new chips. For example, you can find the Asus G74SK-AH71 gaming laptop, which came out last summer, for as little as $1,049.99. The newly released Asus G75VW-AS71, similarly spec'ed and designed but with the new Ivy Bridge processor, is $1,499.99 on Amazon. That $450 in savings might outweigh the meager CPU performance gains of the newer model (however, the G75 also upgrades the graphics card and Ivy Bridge does offer significantly better graphics performance, so you'd need to weigh savings versus advantages). Photo by Asus

Time Your Purchase Based on When Laptops Typically Go on Sale

Once you know what kind of laptop you're looking for, you'll want to time your purchase to get the absolute lowest price for your laptop.

Laptops tend to get significant discounts during the holidays (especially around Black Friday), in the summer for "back to school specials," and, as our best time to buy anything guide declares, April (this may be because many manufacturers release new laptop models at the beginning of the year, so the older models need to be cleared out). Image by NPD via Laptop

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For Windows laptops, refreshes happen often. If a laptop you're considering has been out for several months (e.g., six months or more), you might want to hold off on buying because an upgrade is likely—and when that happens, you can snag the now-older model at a discount. Decide.com, with its price forecasting and information on imminent upgrades, is another tool that can help you figure out whether to buy a particular laptop now or wait.

Get the Best Discounts and Skip the Buyer's Remorse

Finally, use smart shopping tools that will help you comparison shop, deliver coupon codes automatically, monitor prices, and even give you price protection should prices drop. At the very least, you should always look for a coupon (e.g., at RetailMeNot), because more often than not they're available and can save you a great amount of money.

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For special/insider discounts, you can also follow the laptop maker's Twitter account or subscribe to their newsletter.

You may not be able to time your purchase for exactly the lowest price that laptop will ever be, but if you wait too long you might also never end up with a new laptop. If you wait to buy until you really need a new laptop and consider all of the above tactics, you'll avoid buyer's remorse, knowing you made the best purchase decision you could at the time, with the best price available then. Enjoy!